


chest infect me, waste my days

by whispersbabe



Category: Pynch - Fandom, Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: M/M, aka boys making out in churches, alternative first kiss, pre Raven King
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-04
Updated: 2016-12-04
Packaged: 2018-09-06 11:09:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8748202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whispersbabe/pseuds/whispersbabe
Summary: Ronan has feelings. Adam has feelings and work to do. They are hopelessly in love and so stupid.





	

**Author's Note:**

> title taken from Hourglass - Catfish and the bottlemen

“Lynch,” Adam started, taken aback. “What the fuck do you want?”

Ronan huffed and shot a glare at Adam, as though it was Adam who had intruded on him at half past one in the morning. “Couldn't sleep. Thought I’d come bother you, since you're always up studying or some shit.”

Adam narrowed his eyes suspiciously, hand flexing on the door in temptation to shut Ronan out. It had been weeks since Ronan last crashed in Adam’s. He normally chose the Barns, instead. After a second of consideration, he stepped aside to open the door wider and Ronan stepped in. His presence seemed to fill the tiny room as he took it in, and Adam had to take breaths to prevent the embarrassment creeping up on him. It struck him forcefully how pitiful it all looked; A wobbly desk in the corner, a threadbare mattress on the floor and wooden crates to improvise other furniture with. Compared to the Barns, or to Monmouth, this was a shitheap. It didn't matter than Ronan had spent nights upon nights sleeping on his floor of plotting on his desk.

“Can I crash on the floor?” was all Ronan said.

Adam nodded a yes, biting his lip as he shot down his thoughts. “I still don’t have any other blankets, but if you get cold you can take mine, I’ll be working for another few hours.” It had gotten cold since Ronan last stayed, and blankets were now a necessity.

Ronan rolled his eyes at that, his expression becoming one of exasperation. “You need to sleep, Parrish. When’s the last time you got a full night, be honest?.” he demanded, staring Adam down.

Adam hesitated, thinking. When was the last time he’d gotten more than an hour or two between jobs and studying? Ronan read the hesitation clear on his face and huffed. “Fuck school, Parrish. I know you want to get into an Ivy League and escape this shithole or whatever, but you need to sleep.”

Adam shoved Ronan out of the way slightly, heading to his desk and sitting down, barely looking at Ronan as he delivered his next rant, “Why do you fucking care, anyway? I don’t expect you to understand this, so stop trying to intervene. You’re worse than Gansey. Shut up and let me work, or crash somewhere else.”

He didn't look at Ronan’s momentarily wounded face, and he didn't wince as Ronan slammed out the door.

He knew Ronan just cared about him, as un-Ronanish as that may be. He had an inkling why, aswell.

Ronan Lynch was something of an enigma; fierce and unsympathetic, built of mystery and intimidation. To anybody who didn't know him, he was terrifying.

To Adam, and to the rest of their group, he was changing. Since Cabeswater and Kavinsky, he’d slowly began to become a tamer creature. He was more likely now than ever to let a wounded look flash across his face or to laugh with Blue and crack jokes at Gansey’s expense. Adam wasn't the only one who noticed that his shield opened up more around Adam, he became more free. Gansey said he was something like he was before Niall died when he was with Adam. Neither of them knew why.

Well, Adam did.

He wasn’t stupid. He hadn't gone the last few weeks without noticing Ronan’s eyes constantly watching, or the occasional brief touches. What really tipped him off was the rent; Ronan convincing the landlady to reduce the rent was so out of character that when Adam stopped being indignant and pissed off, he had to think _why._ Why would Ronan go out of his way to help Adam, when Ronan made sure to never openly care about anybody

The thought of Ronan truly liking, crushing on, Adam was almost laughable. Adam wasn't even sure when they had stopped openly hating one another.

Adam also found that his chest felt light and his hands nervous when he truly thought about Ronan’s crush. He wanted it. He wanted _Ronan_. In his deepest knowledge, he knew he’d more than once thought about Ronan's arms around him, about Ronan beneath him or just Ronan in general. He’d pushed them all aside, not having the time to fantasise.

The truth of it was, Ronan made Adam feel reckless. Adam had never been able to afford to be anything other than cautious and deliberate, but with Ronan he stopped caring so much. He could sit in a car with Ronan driving 20 over the limit and blaring something bass-heavy and feel light and okay. He could be in the Barns watching Ronan play with a new dream object; a light or a toy, and feel exhilarated. Ronan brought with him a sense of casual rebellion, and everything about it infected Adam.

It was these thoughts that made Adam drop his pen and storm outside, taking the stairs two at a time until he found the inner door to the main church and crept inside. It didn’t surprise him to find Ronan slouched in a pew roughly halfway down and he made his way quietly towards him, sitting down and saying nothing.

The silence couldn't say ‘I’m sorry.’ but neither could Adam, so he settled for a question.

“Why did you pay my rent?”

Ronan looked at him for the first time since he’d joined him. “I didn’t pay your rent. I got the nun to lower it so you could afford school.” he said, indifferent as ever.

“Okay, but why?”

Ronan didn't answer, choosing instead to stare unashamed at Adam’s hands in his lap. They were softer now, uneffected by the weather thanks to Ronan’s hand-cream. Another gesture of uncharacteristic caring.

To Adam’s shock, Ronan took one of Adam’s hands in his and examined it carefully before dropping them both, still clasped, into his lap. “Because I did. That's all. That's why I dreamt up the hand cream, that's why I stay at your place when I can sleep just fine at mine if I choose to. Because you're worth doing that for if you won't let yourself believe that.”

Somehow, Ronan managed to sound angry during a speech like that. His face gave him away, however, sincere and honest. Adam couldn't breathe, couldn't think with his hand still in Ronan's, loose enough to pull away but still unmoving.

Neither of them did a thing for a beat until Adam found his body moving of its own accord to cup Ronan's face with his free hand, forcing the other boy to look at him. He wasn't aware of himself leaning forward, or of his other hand breaking free to bury itself in the back of Ronan’s hoodie, but he was all too aware of Ronan’s mouth on his making his entire body feel light. There was no hesitation in this kiss, no gentle testing the waters. They had both needed this longer than they’d ever admit to themselves and grabbed it now without a second thought. All that mattered in the moment was lips against lips, scratchy stubble and hands in hair, in hoodies, sliding beneath fabric. Everything about the kiss was same kind of reckless that Ronan presented and infected Adam with.

They broke apart, gasping, when Adam tried to lift Ronan’s hoodie. “Dude. Parrish, stop. We’re in a fucking church.” Ronan laughed breathlessly.

“I’m not religious,” Adam smirked, more to see Ronan giggle more than to instigate anything.

Ronan swatted his arm, trying to appear annoyed through a wide grin. “Well, I am. Thou shalt not make out in a church pew and all that.”

Adam shook his head in feigned defeat. “I’m sorry for my blasphemy. At least it's not the Westboro Baptist.”

Ronan laughed again, high and joyful. “Let's do that sometime, Parrish.”

Adam smiled, the promise of future nights like this, reckless and heart-racing, making him forget the mounds of work upstairs. “What does the bible say about making out above a church?” he asked, eyes flitting to the ceiling which hid his apartment.

Ronan considered this for a moment, fingers on chin in faux thought, before standing and reaching out a hand which Adam took.

“Nothing wrong with that, as far as I can see.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed and any feedback is much appreciated. Possibly not my best work, Ronan might be a bit ooc sorry.


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